Chapter 91

After the new recruits' martial arts competition ended, the martial arts academy officially opened, with very strict management. The martial arts students were not allowed to leave the school gates, and they studied military strategy and practiced archery and horsemanship from morning till night. The students only had a brief rest in the evenings.

The scorching summer passed, and the weather gradually cooled. Before they knew it, it was mid-September, and the martial arts academy began a ten-day autumn break for the students to visit their families and attend to personal matters.

That afternoon, Chen Qing received an invitation.

"Old Chen, who sent this invitation?" Hu Yan Tong approached curiously.

"Lu Xianggong sent it. The day after tomorrow is his sixtieth birthday."

"Lu Xianggong sent you an invitation?"

Hu Yan Tong widened his eyes. Chen Qing was only a seventh-rank officer, and the esteemed Right Chancellor celebrating his birthday would invite a seventh-rank officer?

"I don't know either!"

Chen Qing casually threw the invitation into a drawer. "I'll send a birthday gift, but I don't think I need to go."

"Absolutely not!"

Hu Yan quickly took out the invitation and smiled at Chen Qing. "This is a formal invitation, not just a verbal one. Every guest was carefully chosen by the host. If you don't go, you'll offend him. He is the Chancellor, after all."

Chen Qing smiled bitterly. "I don't really have any connection with him."

"Exactly because you don't have a connection, it shows that he respects you. You might be the only one in the entire martial arts academy to receive this invitation. If you don't go, it will be a loss of face for him."

Chen Qing thought about it and realized he had to go. During the last military camp incident, Lu Yihao had helped him, and he owed him a favor.

"Then what kind of gift should I send?"

Hu Yan Tong smiled. "Gift-giving is very particular. The type of gift depends on the relationship and status. For example, if you send five thousand strings of cash, Lu Xianggong would be very happy, but what about the others? If you send a gift worth only ten strings of cash, it would be embarrassing for you. I suggest buying ten bolts of the best palace silk and sending them first. On the birthday, gifts are generally not accepted."

"Ten bolts... of the best palace silk."

Chen Qing thought for a moment. "That sounds good. How much will it cost?"

"About a hundred strings of cash."

Chen Qing was a bit worried. He had given all his money to Zheng Ping, and yesterday, after receiving his salary, he had paid back the money he borrowed from others. He only had sixty strings of cash left, which he thought would be enough, but now he had to attend Lu Yihao's birthday.

"Hu Yan, can you lend me some money?"

"You!"

Hu Yan Tong pointed at him and smiled bitterly. "You gave tens of thousands of strings of cash to the fallen soldiers, but now you can't even afford a hundred strings of cash. How much do you need?"

"Fifty strings will be enough!"

"I'll lend you a hundred strings. You also need to buy some new clothes."

"I have clothes!"

Hu Yan Tong sighed. "Your clothes are made of fine linen. In the Chancellor's residence, even the servants wear silk. You'll be laughed at. How about I lend you a set of clothes?"

"I won't borrow someone else's clothes to pretend to be rich. Let them laugh if they want to."

"Ah! Stubborn as a mule. I'm more embarrassed than you. If it really can't be helped, you can wear your official uniform. Although it's also made of fine linen, at least it fits your status."

The official uniform is the military uniform without armor. Song army officers of the ninth rank and above have three sets of clothes: one for court, one for official duties, and one for daily wear. Chen Qing nodded; wearing the official uniform was not a bad idea.

...

Chen Qing always thought that Lin'an had no horse-drawn carriages, and transportation mainly relied on ox carts or boats. But today, he realized he was wrong. There were many horse-drawn carriages in Lin'an, more than he expected.

In front of Lu Yihao's residence, black horse-drawn carriages were parked one after another, each more luxurious than the last, stretching for two miles, with at least three or four hundred carriages.

Chen Qing arrived relatively late, in the afternoon. He was just there to make an appearance and hoped to report in and leave quickly. After all, Lu Yihao wouldn't notice him, a small officer.

At the entrance, Lu Yihao's two sons were warmly welcoming guests, and a row of tables was set up with several advisors registering the guests' names.

The guests at the Song Chancellor's banquet were almost all high-ranking officials and nobles, but there was an unwritten rule: the Chancellor's birthday was the best social occasion to build connections. This was something all the guests, except Chen Qing, knew.

For this reason, the guests were very enthusiastic, and many had arrived at the Chancellor's residence in the morning.

When Chen Qing arrived, there were few guests left, and the entrance was somewhat deserted.

"Do I need to register?" Chen Qing asked as he approached.

Lu Yihao's two sons had already gone inside to chat with the guests, and only the steward and two advisors responsible for registration were at the entrance. The two advisors were checking the guest list and didn't even look up, pointing to the steward with their pens.

The steward had already noticed Chen Qing. Seeing him arrive in an ox cart and wearing a military uniform, he felt a bit disdainful. After all, even officers usually had their personal guards with them. This man came alone, dressed poorly, and the steward, who was used to judging people by their appearance, didn't take him seriously.

"Sir, do you have any business here?" the steward asked politely.

Chen Qing took out the invitation and handed it to the steward. The steward saw it was a white invitation and immediately put on a smile. "It's General Chen! My apologies! My apologies!"

There were two types of invitations for this birthday: white invitations, mainly for high-ranking officials and close relatives, or guests Lu Yihao particularly valued; and green invitations, mainly for the gentry and wealthy merchants of Lin'an.

Chen Qing was one of the guests Lu Yihao particularly valued, so he received a white invitation. However, the steward misunderstood and thought Chen Qing was the son of a high-ranking official, attending in his father's place.

"I already gave the gift yesterday. Can I just sign in?"

The steward was taken aback. The invitation was for him personally. Who was this young man?

He smiled broadly. "Yes, General Chen, just sign in."

Chen Qing signed his name, and the steward led him into the residence. One of the advisors looked at Chen Qing's name and nudged his colleague. "Look at this!"

The colleague leaned over and saw Chen Qing's name on the guest list. There were 372 guests, and Chen Qing's name was in the 29th position. The advisor was stunned. Who was this young man? Why did Lu Xianggong value him so much?

Lu Yihao had sent out over 370 invitations, but there were over a thousand guests, most of whom brought their families. Not only did they need to socialize, but they also had to network through their wives and children, all to build various connections.

Fortunately, Lu Yihao's residence was the largest official residence in Lin'an, covering thirty acres, which could accommodate over a thousand people.

However, the outer rooms, kitchen, stables, and servants' quarters were not places for guests to stay, and the inner rooms, such as the study and bedrooms, were off-limits. In reality, the places where guests could stay were limited, mainly the central courtyard and two side courtyards. Therefore, every pavilion and guest room was filled with guests.

Chen Qing found his seat in the third large tent in the left courtyard. Although he was listed early on the guest list, it only meant that Lu Yihao valued him and considered him first when making the guest list. It did not mean he could dine in the central courtyard, which was reserved for officials of the fifth rank and above. Chen Qing, being a seventh-rank military officer, could only sit in the side courtyard. The Song dynasty favored civil officials over military ones, and military officers, except for the Grand Marshal, generally had lower ranks than civil officials. However, their salaries were twice that of civil officials as compensation.

Additionally, many military officers had honorary military titles, but these titles did not come with salaries or social status and were less attractive than actual military positions.

Chen Qing sat in his seat for a while. Around him were about ten other guests, both men and women. Across from him was a woman in her forties, adorned with jewels, her face powdered white despite the sagging skin. She wore a very elaborate robe, which was tight when she sat down, and her thick, white, plump wrist was adorned with three thick gold bracelets.

Next to the woman was a young man, about Chen Qing's age, who seemed to be her son. He was being scolded by his mother.

"Who told you to compete with Wang Boyi and the others? They are so rich that even a single hair is thicker than our waists. I told you to flatter them and lower your stance, but you went and tried to be their equal. Isn't that just asking for trouble?"

"Mother, Wang Bo is rich, but the others are about the same as us. Qi Boyi boasted that his family bought ten acres of land by the West Lake, and Zhao Boyi said he spent hundreds of strings of cash on a single drink at Fengle Tower. What could I boast about?"

Chen Qing's eyes twitched when he heard Wang Bo's name. That scoundrel was here too.